Scapa Flow

Scapa Flow occupies a unique place in naval history, this vast natural harbor sheltered between Orkney's islands serving as Britain's chief naval base through two world wars. Its name became synonymous with maritime drama in 1919 when the interned German High Seas Fleet scuttled itself here, and again in 1939 when a German U-boat penetrated its defenses to sink HMS Royal Oak with the loss of 833 lives.

Today Scapa Flow ranks among the world's finest wreck diving destinations. Though most of the German fleet was salvaged, seven ships remain on the seabed—three battleships and four cruisers—offering divers encounters with massive First World War warships in remarkably clear northern waters. The wrecks teem with marine life, their gun turrets and superstructures providing haunting underwater landscapes.

Non-divers can experience Scapa Flow's history through visitor centers, museums, and boat tours. The Churchill Barriers, built to protect the anchorage after the Royal Oak disaster, now carry the main road to the southern islands. The green buoy marking Royal Oak's final resting place serves as a war grave, with the White Ensign flown daily above the wreck in perpetual tribute to those who lost their lives.